The Albanese Labor Government is working with the Minns NSW Government to deliver a new $25 million program to help apartment residents save up to $600 on their energy bills annually.

The Solar for Apartment Residents incentive is the first-of-its-kind in NSW and provides co-funding to eligible owners’ corporations and strata managers to install shared rooftop solar systems.

Currently one in five NSW homes are apartments, yet only about 3.5 per cent of those are connected to solar.

This program will expand access to renewable technology and lower the cost of resident’s power bills.

It will cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of installing shared solar systems on apartments or other multi-unit dwellings, up to a maximum of $150,000 per project.

The incentive is funded by the Albanese Labor Government’s Solar Banks Scheme, which is focused on removing the barriers to accessing solar nationwide, and is a key action in the NSW Government’s Consumer Energy Strategy.

The program is designed and administered by the NSW Government, which will assess and approve applications, distribute funding to grant recipients and oversee the delivery of funded projects.

Owner’s corporations or strata managers of apartments or other multi-unit dwellings with 3-55 units that haven’t had a solar PV system installed in the last 10 years are eligible to apply.

Applications are now open and will close on 1 December 2025 or when funding is exhausted.

For more information on the initiative and to check your eligibility, visit Solar for apartment residents

Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“My Government is Building Australia’s future. We want to makes sure all Australians have the services and the infrastructure they need now and into the future.

“That’s why we are working with the Minns Government to encourage the use of solar panels and help slash the cost of people’s power bills.

“This is good for families and good for the environment.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen

“We want to make it cheaper and easier for every Australian to install rooftop solar, because whether a home is a house or apartment, everyone should be able to take advantage of cleaner, cheaper solar to bust bills for good.

“In the past it’s been difficult for apartment residents to reap the benefits of cleaner, cheaper solar- but Labor is helping households overcome those barriers and powering more Australian homes with renewables.”

Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe

“We’re excited to launch this initiative here in NSW, making solar power more accessible and affordable for the many people who live in apartments.

“Solar should be available to everyone. This program removes the barriers to renewable energy for units and apartments, making it easier and more affordable to adopt solar.”

Information for media: Ashfield Case Study

Overview

• The apartment building is a three-level brick block with nine units in Ashfield, NSW, built in 1970.
• There is a mixture of owner-occupied and rentals in the building.
• The occupants are a mix of young families, working adults and retirees.

Solar system information

• Installed in December 2021.
• 20kW solar photo-voltaic (PV) system with 55 x 370 W solar panels and a 20-kW inverter powering nine strata units plus the common property, with capacity to export surplus electricity to the grid.
• The system is ‘battery-ready’.

Costs & savings

• Total system cost and cost to install: $50,000 total, paid for with a $5,000 special levy on each unit and the balance taken from the Owners’ Corporation Capital Works Fund.
• Approximate annual energy bill savings: $8,900 for the unit block, which is estimated to be $990 per household.
• Savings they would have received under the SoAR grant program: With a total system cost of $50,000, they could have been eligible to receive grant funding of up to $25,000 from SoAR.